All in all, a third of the 90-man roster has been overhauled since mid-March

[CCBoy]

https://www.dallascowboys.com/news/depth-chart-who-can-rise-in-cowboys-defensive-tackle-room

All in all, a third of the 90-man roster has been overhauled since mid-March, creating quite a few changes to each position.

Defensive Tackle

Over the next few weeks, we'll take a closer look at where things stand at each position. The Cowboys won't release a depth chart until the first preseason game in August, so the following order of players is simply a projection, which of course, is always subject to change.

Osa Odighizuwa
Mazi Smith
Solomon Thomas
Jay Toia
Tommy Akingbesote
Justin Rogers
Denzel Daxon

Jay Toia and Tommy Akingbesote will likely push each other for a spot in the rotation, which is a lot to ask from two rookies but likely necessary given the overall lack of bodies in the room. It may end up not being a "battle" between the two, as both are in a position to be leaned upon pretty heavily if the Cowboys stick with seven defensive tackles on the roster going into the season.

Trait-Mark: In terms of versatility and being able to play anywhere on the defensive front, Solomon Thomas brings that to the table for the Cowboys. He's listed as a defensive tackle, but can be used coming off the edge and rushing the passer too. He's a little more twitchy than some of the other guys in the room, and can use that to his advantage in pass rushing situations when lined up against less athletic interior offensive linemen.

 

[Acceptablename]

Toia my pet cat. Can move a lil bit but strength will be acceptable for a NFL inner defense (D1): that's pretty good for a rookie.

 

[CCBoy]

Can Tyler Guyton, Mazi Smith show flashes of taking the next step?

Speaking of taking steps in the right direction, two key young players that could use a breakout year are left tackle Tyler Guyton and defensive tackle Mazi Smith. Both are getting new coaching this season with strong track records of developmental success at their respective positions.

Offensive coordinator Klayton Adams and offensive line coach Conor Riley have specialized in development up front, something that Guyton will benefit from after an up and down rookie season in his first year playing left tackle.

Defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton has gotten a lot out of his former players like Quinnen Williams in New York, and the Cowboys are hoping he can do the same with Smith, who has shown flashes but not necessarily consistency in his play since being drafted in the first round out of Michigan in 2023. The spotlight is only getting brighter on the two young players early in their careers.

https://www.dallascowboys.com/news/five-questions-to-monitor-as-cowboys-begin-otas

 

[nobody]

So they're about halfway through a soft rebuild. It's a positive step.

 

[CCBoy]

So they're about halfway through a soft rebuild. It's a positive step.

I don't know that I would walk around calling a defensive tackle; Soft!

 

[nobody]

I don't know that I would walk around calling a defensive tackle; Soft!

I didn't. I called the rebuild a soft rebuild...which is what they're in the middle of doing. There are still a lot of soft players on the team though...which is why they're only in the middle of the semi-rebuild.

 

[CCBoy]

I didn't. I called the rebuild a soft rebuild...which is what they're in the middle of doing. There are still a lot of soft players on the team though...which is why they're only in the middle of the semi-rebuild.

He is a member of the 'rooks' challenged is fully faced them. We shall see and note is taken as usual.

 

[CCBoy]

Expectations understandably changed in his second season. To those outside the organization, Smith was no longer looked at as a budding star but rather a guy just trying to crack a rotation. Internally the expectations changed but they still continued to run high. The Cowboys parted with top 1-tech defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins and essentially handed the starting job to Smith. It was a big opportunity for a player who graded at the very bottom of the league a year before, but a statement of faith and expectations from the franchise who drafted him.